Adesigner boutique hotel, like The Manor, entrenched in Friends Colony, Delhi, is one where the style of the property is stressed with regard to every detailing that goes into designing it in terms of the rooms, bathrooms, cushions, flooring, etc. Treading through its gates, the building itself reminded me of a typical colonial type of bungalow. I was allured by the exceptional design style of Manor besides the serenity and the lush green environment.
What appealed to me the most was the use of sober colours and designs to do up the interiors. For instance, the stylish lobby contrasts the cool Italian mosaic flooring with warm, rich wood panelling on the walls. I happened to come across a high profile client staying at Manor, Daniel Adric, a designer from Paris who loves the style of the property, the fusion of modern and classic.
The rooms too render a spacious feel with high ceilings. Since The Manor has a small inventory of rooms, each room is individually decorated with soothing and soft tones ranging from caramel to beige to moss green. There are just about 15 rooms in total; two standard, five superior, seven junior suites and one Manor Suite. Standard rooms, being smaller, have a queen-size bed and a writing table. Some suites have a combined sitting area and bedroom along with a king-size bed, sofa, chairs and a large writing table. But my brownie point goes to the Manor Suite located on the upper floor of the hotel which opens up to its own sitting room. It also comprises a separate bedroom, dressing room, bathing area and a private outdoor terrace with a garden view.
Excellent service
The basic essence of The Manor is service; the way they serve their guests, relate to them as well as run their restaurant. Since people are well travelled these days all they look for is ‘uniqueness of service', which is easy to achieve in a boutique property as a result of the special staff structure and product structure. If you decide to stay at The Manor, get ready to be thoroughly coddled, with every request of yours fulfilled to perfection, making a guest feel special and at home. This is certainly not possible in other star hotels where the service is more standardised and for a reason.
My experience of The Manor reached its pinnacle at the restaurant, “Indian Accent”. Encompassing an amalgamation of global cuisine along with the Indian taste, this restaurant is truly one of the gems of gastronomic delights of Delhi. Chef Manish Mehrotra deserves all the credit for bringing such an inventive menu to this restaurant. He has managed to combine flavours that go together and this fusion has indeed worked well. An experience in itself; you can enjoy an all-day menu at the Indian Accent. For starters, how about trying some Semolina Puchkas with five kinds of water – tamarind, mint, pineapple, pomegranate and butter milk? Add a shot of belvedere vodka if desired. On the other hand, for the main course, there is mouth-watering Galawati Kebab with Foie Gras (goose liver) stuffed with strawberry and green chilli chutney. I am convinced that The Manor's core USP is nothing but its unparalleled food.
For the connoisseur
One factor I found appealing was the food being served with five different kinds of wine which adds flavour to the food. Secondly, I was amazed to discover two kinds of menu cards; a choice between a la carte menu and the chef's tasting menu where each dish is paired with a wine. The menu has my much-loved fruit, mango, as the only seasonal inclusion with desserts like aam ras and mango-lime kulfi (mango puree with Thai Kaffir lime). A visit to the Indian Accent and you might just be lucky enough to experience something called “Accent of the Month” where festivities of the lunar calendar are commemorated. Be it Janmashtami with peacock feathers, jasmines and flute music dominating the scene or tricolour desserts on Independence Day; each event is celebrated with equal fervour. Adjoining the restaurant is the “Oynx” bar that opens out onto a beautiful veranda overlooking the lush green lawns.
The Manor plays host to elite clients ranging from designers to celebrities to politicians to corporate clients. However, there is a huge patronage from expats, diplomats and international clients and one reason they opt for this property is because they can escape city life to enjoy the aesthetics, ambience and nature. The reason for selecting a boutique hotel over a normal hotel is the compactness that facilitates a sense of intimacy which is highly unlikely in any other big hotel. With quintessential service and design , The Manor was quite an experience…
